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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. m. APRIL 22. 1905. found that it was printed in 1605. This is a very early date for Fletcher, but not too early, since his play 'Woman's Prize' bears internal evidence of having been written in its original form about 1603-4, as in it the siege of Ostend, which ended in 1604, is mentioned as if still proceeding. The date of 'Woman's Prize' is also fairly well fixed by the following circumstances. The play is a continuation of Shakspere's 'Taming of the Shrew,' which contains allusions to Heywood's 'Woman killed with Kindness' (1602-3) and Chettle, Dekker, and Haughton's 'Patient Grissil' (produced 1599-1600, but certainly altered prior to publication in 1603). 'Patient Grissil' alludes to both 'Taming of the Shrew ' and Dekker's 'Medicine for a Curst Wife,' which was produced in July, 1602 ("curst," be it noted, means "shrewish"). Finally, 'Woman's Prize,' like 'Taming of the Shrew,' contains an allusion to 'Woman killed with Kindness.' These plays may be taken to be all (some in their earlier and some in their later forms) contemporaneous; and they were apparently to some extent rival plays. The sub-title of 'Woman's Prize,' moreover, connects it directly with Shakspere's play, and that is probably its original title. It was revised, perhaps, a decade later, to which date must be ascribed the allusions to Jonson's 'Silent Woman' (1609) and Shakspere's 'Lear' (1605). As further proof of Fletcher's early connexion with the stage, it may be noted that D'Avenant speaks of him as having worn the bays "full twenty years"; and, as he died in 1625, we have here additional reason for thinking 1605 not too early a date for him. But even had we no definite reason to believe that Fletcher was then writing for the stage, I should need only a possibility of his authorship to feel justified in saying in regard to this scene of 'Stukeley' (and this scene alone), "Aut Fletcher aut diabolus."

Since the above was written, I have seen it stated that 'Woman's Prize' has been assigned to 1604 by Mr. Thorndike. I regret that I am unacquainted with either that gentleman's work or the reasons whereby he reached his conclusion.

are continually being told that Bacon is the right claimant to the credit of having written certain plays. It does not seem to have been observed how, with his inimitable power of ridicule, Shakespeare himself treated such pretensions. He took good care that, at any rate, there should be no mistake as to the authorship of the 'First Part of Henry IV.'

He strikes the right note in the very first line of the play, which is keenly satirical: "So shaken as we are, so wan with care"—i.e., the poet, who alludes to his own name in the second word, pretends that he is quite "wan with care" at hearing of Bacon's claims; and in the third scene he introduces Worcester, who proceeds to explain to Hotspur (who here and in Act III. is partly the mouthpiece of Shakespeare) something as to the nature of these claims:

This was a pretty strong hint that Bacon had even then hatched a plan of contriving "a secret book," by means of which he would, to his rival's "quick-conceiving discontents," hope to pass over the "current" of popular opinion by trusting to the chance that the spear which he claimed would not shake.

But Hotspur is merely amused, and replies, calmly enough:—

In Act II. the duel is continued after another sort. In sc. i. the second carter says:—

meaning, of course, "I have an absurd pretension of Bacon's which I hope to be delivered from shortly." And in the next scene he proceeds to business by the mouth of Falstaff; and he now speaks plainly enough:—

And yet again, in tones of fine scorn:—

This is tolerably strong; but the author of this play had by no means done with his rival yet. He must be still more clearly pointed out, and dismissed by something better than mere honest scorn. So he returns to the subject in Act III., by boldly introducing Bacon himself in the character of Glendower; and here the contrast between